I like some of the beautiful gunstocks that I have seen and I like incorporating some of those carved elements in some canes that I do. These designs seem to work well in canes for both men and women, depending on how they are done. You can get patterns from leather working books and I have seen some canes carved using a pattern for a belt that was simply spiraled around the cane. You can trace leaves from your backyard and then use a copier to resize them to fit your cane, but I just draw mine out freehand. You could draw them directly on the cane. Drawing the leaves on paper adds a few extra steps, but you can cut them out and use them as templates. This allows you to refine your design by taping them in different spots along the shaft, to see what you like best. It helps to have different leaf shapes, but these can be resized and used in different combinations of leaves without having to recreate a uniques design for each individual leaf. You just overlap them and position them in different combinations. I use graphite paper to transfer the patterns and then go back over it with a pencil or marker. I have used small pounce wheels and pin pricks on designs where I will be able to carve away the little dots it leaves. And some people use a really hard pencil that will indent the wood thru the pattern without using graphite paper. This can be useful for delicate detailing on bird feathers, but I have trouble seeing the lines using this method. Here are a few pictures illustrating what I’ve been talking about.

Here is another video detailing the process of carving the pattern. I will be using a #11 gouge and a carving knife for the relief carving, followed by some power carving to five it some flow.

I have to warn you and apologize in advance…......the video is about 13 minutes long, so brace yourself!

Thanks for looking! Next up will be some woodburning and texturing techniques.

If you carve leaves, you get a lot of practice opportunities! Nobody ever says ” and I want just a single leaf on the cane….”. You would find it pretty easy after carving a shoe! Some people will take a thin piece of basswood, trace a maple leaf on it and carve it and paint it and then make a pin out of it, by gluing one of those little claspy-thinies on the back. .....you could make one for your hat!